Special Election

For Positions of Treasurer, Negotiations Coord. & External VP
As per the announcement of the Special Election by President Wolfson, and in accordance with the bylaws of Local 1904 and past practice, the Elections Committee will hold an election for the positions of Treasurer, Negotiations Coordinator, and External Vice-President and Delegate to be conducted at a Special General Union meeting on February 2 at 2:00 p.m. in SC417. The Elections Committee (Michael Heller, Lisa Hazard, Tom Trone, Matthew Pierce and Jason Dickinson) will conduct all aspects of the election. In order to be eligible to be on the ballot, candidates must file in person a nomination form with signatures of 10 members in good standing by 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 1, in the Union office, College Hall 314A. Any candidate who submits a validated nomination form must be present at the Special General Union meeting on February 2 at 2:00 p.m. SC417 and be prepared to make a two-minute statement at its beginning.

Only members present and in good standing at the meeting will be issued ballots.  Ballots will be counted by the Elections Committee and the results will be announced prior to the Special General Union meeting's adjournment.

In Solidarity,
Michael Heller
Chair, Elections Committee
Membership Drive and Raffle EXTENDED

We are pleased to announce that our membership drive contest featuring not one, but two Nooks, has been extended to February 9th.
  

There are no better ambassadors of MSUFT Local 1904 than our members and that is why we are asking you to help grow our membership.  Many of our agency members are not aware that they are not full dues paying members.  Your conversation with your colleagues can help clarify the difference and be the reason one more member signs on.  Don't know how to start the conversation? Just mention the Nook raffle.  All "new" members who joined the union on or after August 1, 2010 will have their names entered into a raffle for a Barnes and Noble Nook.  The winner will be announced at the February 9th General Union Meeting.

 

Don't think your efforts and commitment to the Local is going to go unnoticed!  We will also be giving away a Barnes and Nobles Nook to the Member who refers the most new members. 

 

How do you get credit for the referral? Easy! Please ask the recruited member to attach a post-it with your name on it to their membership card and return it to the MSUFT Local 1904 office located in College Hall 314A.  Another option is for the recruited member to call the office at x4453 and ask Linda Turano to record your name.  Membership cards are located in the union office, so stop by to pick some up and start recruiting toward your very own Nook!

 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Betsy Montanez, Secretary, at betsy.montanez@aftlocal1904.org. 

Union Undergraduate Scholarships Applications Are Available Now
AFT Local 1904 is happy to announce that applications for the Becker-Keenen-Moore-Uhia-Waller Scholarship are now available. All full-time undergraduate students in any major are eligible. If you know students in good academic standing who might benefit from this award, please encourage them to apply.

This scholarship fund was established in 1997 in honor of Catherine A. Becker, James P. Keenen III, Joseph T. Moore, Anita E. Uhia, and Connie Waller, all former faculty and active union members who were deeply committed to the principles of collective bargaining and to helping our students who demonstrate a significant economic need. For additional information and to download the application, please visit the Local's website, and click on the "Scholarships" tab.

 

The deadline to apply for these $500 scholarships is Friday, March 11, 2011 at 3 p.m. Students who wish to be considered for this award are required to complete the application, write a short essay, and provide two letters of recommendation from full-dues paying members of the Local.

 

If you have any questions, contact Linda Turano in the Union office at 973-655-4453.

Deferred 3.5% Wage Increase Will Be In Your
January 21st Paycheck

As you may remember, the Memorandum of Agreement: July 7, 2009 called for furlough days and the deferment of our 3.5% across-the-board increase to our annual base salaries to be deferred to the first full pay period after January 1, 2011. That means that in your January 21st check covering the period of January 1, 2011 through January 14, 2011 you should see that increase.

 

It's always a good idea to check your paystub and we do not anticipate any problems but if you do not see the increase, contact payroll immediately for an explanation or correction.


Media Representation of Educators and Their Unions
Dr. Rebecca Goldstein, member of AFT Local 1904 and one of the Local's delegates to the CNJSCL, published an article titled, "Imaging the Frame: Media Representations of Teachers, Their Unions, NCLB, and Education Reform," in Educational Policy on April 14, 2010. The article "examines the political discourse surrounding NCLB, educational reform, and how that discourse shaped perceptions of public education during the Bush Administration. . . . . Analysis revealed that media framing presented an overwhelmingly negative image of teachers' unions as opposed to NCLB and other school reform efforts." To view the whole article, please click here.
January 2011
Wolfson
Richard Wolfson, President
AFT Local 1904
President's Corner

I'd like to welcome everyone back for the Spring semester. It's only a matter of time till the snow disappears and our students start to shed their coats and think about spring break.

 

This spring also brings us to the bargaining table to start work on the successor contract to the one that expires June 30. No one knows what the State will bring to negotiations in the way of givebacks and cost savings. They will clearly argue that they are out of money because of state worker benefits and pensions. But we know that is not true and our problems are caused by past tax cuts and the failure to make the negotiated payments to the State retirement system.

 

Getting past this contract cycle will take the efforts of us all. Your Union officers, the Council and the AFT State Federation will do our best at the table. Over coffee, lunch, dinner or around the water cooler, we need to be diligent and stay on point that the current problems were not caused by us; that tenure is worth protecting; that our work is valuable; and that by educating the students of New Jersey we add to the economic engine that will help get us past our current situation. And, most importantly, we need to let people know that the problems cannot be solved on the backs of our members, our students, State workers, or labor in general.

 

Good luck this semester and I'll see you around campus, at our general Union meetings and in the halls.

Upcoming Events

Special General Union Meeting for Special Election - Wednesday, February 2nd at 2:00 p.m. SC417.

Regular General Union Meeting - Wednesday, February 9th at 2:30 p.m. SC419.